Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1, FP2 and FP3: Slidey face and SDXC

Panasonic may have been showing off about its 3D camcorder and tellies, but there were new additions to the Lumix consumer camera range too. The DMC-FP1, DMC-FP2 and DMC-FP3 are a troika of sliding-faceplate compacts.

The FP1, FP2 and FP3 all boast a 4x zoom lens and come in a wide range of colours. The FP1 and FP2 have 69mm (2.7-inch) screens, while the FP3 has a 76mm (3-inch) touchscreen. Each of the cameras shoots 720p high-definition video.

The FP range are the first Lumixes we can remember that include sliding face plates. We're not fans of sliding faces, as they tend to open in your pocket, wasting the battery. They add extraneous thickness too, and the positioning of the lens in the top corner is a magnet for fingers poking into the picture. Still, the FP range is as sturdily built as every Lumix, and someone must like slidey-facey cameras as every manufacturer makes them.

The Panasonic Lumix FP1, FP2 and FP3 are compatible with Panasonic's new range of SDXC cards for super-roomy memory. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but they're busting out in the first quarter of this year.